1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for displaying an enlarged display area. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for determining a size of a display area based on a proximity detection and features of a captured image.
2. Description of Related Art
Recent mobile devices, such as smartphones, may include a virtual keyboard for performing input operations (e.g., text entry). In particular, a mobile device may display a virtual keyboard on its display screen such that a user may perform input operations by touching the virtual keyboard with an instruction object, such as a finger or stylus. For example, a mobile device may include features for detecting when the instruction object makes contact with the display surface of the mobile device. Moreover, a mobile device may include features for detecting when the instruction object is within a predetermined distance of the display surface (referred hereinafter as a “proximity detection”). In response to detecting an instruction object contacting the display surface and/or being within a predetermined proximity of the display surface, the mobile device may include features for determining an area/coordinate of the display surface that corresponds to the position at which the mobile device display surface is touched and/or the position at which a proximity detection occurs. Based on the determined position of the touch operation and/or the proximity detection, the mobile device may, e.g., determine that a corresponding character of the virtual keyboard has been touched, and the determined character may be used in subsequent processing (e.g., text display, Web search, text messaging, etc.).
Virtual keyboards on many recent mobile devices may display character keys on a relatively small area, such as a screen smaller than a typical user's hand. Consequently, the dimensions of each key displayed on the virtual keyboard are typically narrow and therefore, unintended operations frequently occur where a user inadvertently touches a virtual keyboard key that is displayed adjacent to the key that the user intends to touch. As one technology intended to solve the problem of unintentional virtual keyboard key operations, there exists a technology that enlarges a display area corresponding to an area at which a proximity detection occurs. By enlarging an area of the displayed virtual keyboard, the key that the user intends to touch may become more prominent because it is displayed in a larger size, thereby reducing the likelihood of an unintentional input operation.